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Home-Start in Royston – 30 years of supporting young families
Home-Start is a unique organisation training volunteers who visit and support families with at least one child under 5 years of age. Young families who struggle to bring up their family in time of isolation, stress, challenge and great difficulties. The National organisation was started in Leicester by Margaret Harrison in the 1970’s when she realised so many families were missing the vital family support that had been available in a former, less mobile, society. Formerly a young mother facing the trials and difficulties and lacking parenting experience, were able to call on a mother, aunt or older sibling close by for help and support. Modern society sees young parents often miles away from family & friends. Alone, they were facing the difficulties of post-natal depression, multiple births, children with special needs, dysfunctional or bereaved family life. Margaret Harrison realised that in the same society was a wealth of knowledge and genuine desire to help from those who had faced difficulties themselves raising their own family who, now that they had grown, could offer some time to helping others. She set about recruiting volunteers who, with a little training, could visit those hard pressed families and offer wise council, a shoulder to lean on or just be someone who listened to their story and demonstrate some tried and tested ways of dealing with their problems. This simple solution was an immediate success and countless families have ‘got through’ those difficult times with confidence restored knowing that someone cared about them and their problems. Indeed with the passage of time some of those who had been helped were able to volunteer to support other young families themselves. In the autumn of 1981 Joan Richards, working for Social Services, attended a meeting in Stevenage where Margaret Harrison had talked about her work in Leicester. She was so impressed at the results of this formula she told the Health Visiting team who felt that Royston would benefit greatly if a Home-Start organisation was established here. Margaret Harrison herself attended an open meeting at Royston Health Centre of people who worked both professionally and voluntarily with under-fives in the area. So much enthusiasm and interest was generated that a steering committee with Beverley Turner as Lead was formed to apply for funding and to recruit volunteers. From May to July in 1982 our first preparation course was held for prospective volunteers. Professionals from health and social services gave their own time and expertise to support the course. A Family Group was started at the Methodist Church Hall once a week, which gave parents the chance to meet and make friends in the town and gave the children a chance to play and relate to other children. Home-Start Royston was in business. With the invaluable support of Lord Laming who was at
that time director of Social Services in Hertfordshire (later to chair the Victoria Climbie report) the steering committee finally managed to secure funding. Sue Everett was appointed as the first paid coordinator in February 1983. Since then the scheme has gone from strength to strength and responding to needs, they later expanded into South Cambridgeshire. Eventually one room on the first floor of the Health Centre was not large enough to cope with administration and in 2008 a move was made to a new office in Meldreth. The Royston Family Group remains an important part of our service and the majority of families receiving support live in or near to the town. Families are mostly referred to Home-Start by Health professionals who are our greatest supporters be they Health Visitors or Doctors, some families self-refer once they hear of our service. The volunteers come from all walks of life and age groups; the only stipulation is that they are parents and have raised their children themselves. All volunteers receive training, which gives them the confidence to visit a carefully matched family in need. All families are visited on a regular basis with the volunteers fully supported and monitored by paid staff. The Trustees, also volunteers, bring a variety of life skills needed to run the scheme; we need to comply with modern regulations, to employ professional staff, to maintain an income sufficient for the increasing demands of the current scheme, to present annual accounts and run the scheme as effectively as possible. The scheme is planning a new training session this autumn for new home-visiting volunteers. Anyone who would like to offer help by joining the Board of Trustees who meet 6 times a year, or support the fundraising events team will be greeted with open arms. We are a positive fun group of local people from a variety of backgrounds but with the common motivation to support young families facing difficult times. Learn more about us on our website. 30 years is quite a landmark and we are planning an event in early October to which we hope anyone, who has been associated with the scheme as a volunteer, as a family or as a trustee, will join us. Invitations will be sent to those whom are known to the present staff but of course many from the early years will have moved or lost contact with the scheme and we hope they will hear of our plans and contact the office for more details. It is amazing to think that children who were supported at the beginning will now be raising their own families and we hope that the work we did all those years ago is still relevant and being passed on to the current generation. Home-Start Royston and South Cambridgeshire Unit 6, Valley Farm, Station Road, Meldreth, Royston, Herts, SG8 6JP 01763 262262 www.hsrsc.co.uk - admin@hsrsc.co.uk
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